CHAPTER 09 · 17 passages
Beyond the Eastern Seas
海外東經
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English
This is the region beyond the seas, from the southeastern corner to the northeastern corner.
English
On Jiē [𨲠] Hill are Yí [遺] jade, blue horses, Shì Ròu [視肉], Yángtáo [楊桃], Gānzhā [甘柤], and Gānhuá [甘華]; all kinds of fruit grow there. It lies in the Dōng [東] Sea, with two mountains flanking the hill and trees above. Another account calls it Jiē [嗟] Hill; another places this land of many fruits east of Yáo [堯]'s burial place.
Translator’s note
Shì Ròu [視肉] is a wondrous flesh-like being or substance described in later commentary as self-renewing. 楊桃 is retained as an ancient plant-name and not automatically identified with modern star fruit.
English
The country of Dà Rén [大人] lies to the north. Its people are great in stature and sit carving boats. Another account places it north of Chángjiē [镸𨲠] Hill.
Translator’s note
The alternative hill-name includes the extra character 镸 in the received text; it has not been silently omitted.
English
The corpse of Shēbǐ [奢比] lies to the north, with a beast's body, a human face, great ears, and two blue-green Shé hanging from the ears. Another account calls it the corpse of Gānyú [肝榆], north of Dà Rén [大人].
English
The country of Jūn Zǐ [君子] lies to the north. Its people wear clothes and caps, carry swords at their belts, eat beasts, and command two Wén Hǔ at their sides. They love to yield to others and do not contend. There is a plant called Xūn Huá Grass [薰華], born in the morning and dead by evening. Another account places the country north of the corpse of Gānyú [肝榆].
English
The Hóng Hóng [𧈫𧈫] lie to the north, each with two heads. Another account places them north of Jūn Zǐ [君子].
English
In Cháoyáng [朝陽] Valley is the god Tiān Wú [天吳], lord of the waters, north of the Hóng Hóng [𧈫𧈫], between two rivers. His beast-form has eight human heads, eight feet, eight tails, and a blue-green and yellow back.
English
The country of Qīngqiū [青丘] lies to the north. Its people eat the five grains and wear silk. Its foxes have four feet and nine tails. Another account places it north of Cháoyáng [朝陽].
English
The High God ordered Shù Hài [豎亥] to pace the distance from the eastern limit to the western limit: five yi, ten xuan, and 9,800 paces. Shù Hài [豎亥] holds counting rods in his right hand and points with his left toward the north of Qīngqiū [青丘]. Another account says Yǔ [禹] ordered him; another gives five yi, one hundred thousand, and 9,800 paces.
Translator’s note
億, yi, had differing numerical values in ancient usage; 選, xuan, is a disputed numerical term here. The figures are therefore preserved without conversion into a single modern total.
English
The country of Hēi Chǐ [黑齒] lies to the north. Its people are black in colour, eat rice and Shé, and have a red Shé and a blue-green Shé beside them. Another account places it north of Shù Hài [豎亥] and says the people have black heads, eat rice, and command Shé, one of which is red.
English
Below lies Tāng [湯] Valley. Above it grows the Fú Sāng [扶桑], where the ten suns bathe, north of Hēi Chǐ [黑齒]. A great tree stands in the water: nine suns dwell on its lower branches and one on its upper branch.
English
The country of Yǔ Shī Qiè [雨師妾] lies to the north. Its people are black in colour, each hand holding a Shé, with a blue-green Shé at the left ear and a red Shé at the right. Another account places it north of the ten suns and says its people have black bodies and human faces, each holding a Guī.
English
The country of Xuán Gǔ [玄股] lies to the north. Its people have black thighs, wear fish skins, eat gulls, and command two birds standing on either side. Another account places it north of Yǔ Shī Qiè [雨師妾].
English
The country of Máo Mín [毛民] lies to the north. Hair grows upon its people's bodies. Another account places it north of Xuán Gǔ [玄股].
English
The country of Láo Mín [勞民] lies to the north. Its people are black in colour and eat fruit and grass seeds. There is a bird with two heads. Some call the country Jiàomín [教民]. Another account places it north of Máo Mín [毛民] and says its people's faces, eyes, hands, and feet are all black.
English
In the east is Jù Máng [句芒], with a bird's body and a human face, riding two dragons.
English
On the day bingxu in the fourth month of the first year of Jiànpíng [建平], your servant Wàng [望], an attendant awaiting appointment under the Grand Master of Ceremonies, collated and corrected this text. Your servant Gōng [龔], Palace Attendant and Superintendent of the Imperial Household, and your servant Xiù [秀], Palace Attendant, Commandant of the Imperial Carriages, and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, supervised its examination.
Translator’s note
This is a transmitted editorial colophon. 建平 is an imperial era-name, and bingxu [丙戌] a day in the sixty-day cycle; the date has not been converted to a modern calendar.